Road guard



April 29, 1- c. c. AHLES 6 I ROAD Gum v mum m July 8.-' 19,15

; [mania Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,289,667ROAD GUARD Carl C. Ahles, Albany, N. Y.

Original application July 8, 1935, Serial No. 30,374, now PatentNo.2,204,556, dated June 18, 1940. Divided and this application July 20,1989,Serlal No.285,631

6 Claims. (Cl. 25613.1)

The present invention, which is a division of Figure 2 is a plan viewillustrating a guard rail supporting bracket embodying the presentinvention;

Figures 3 and 4 are plan views illustrating modified embodiments of theinvention; and

Figure 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of theembodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the presentinvention is concernedwith detail features of the guard rail and its supporting meansdisclosed in the above identified parent application. The guard rail, asillustrated in Figure 1, comprises a plurality of flexible elements Asuch as ropes, cables or flexible bands which are adapted to beresiliently mounted by spring brackets, indicated generally at B inFigure 1. The present invention relates specifically to the mountingbrackets which are illustrated in detail in Figures 2 to 5, inclusive.

Continuing, in Figure 2 a wood post l3 mounts by means of a bolt H apiece of flat metal l5 that isformed into a cylindrical loop with its"respective ends overlapped at one side, as at IS. A wire rope I! extendstransversely past the post I3, and clips l8 fasten this rope to theoutside of the piece l5 at a position ofiset from and opposite to thepost l3.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 the post 24 mountsa piece of flat metal 25 that is formed into the form of a loop with itsends 26 curved inwardly so that their outer surfaces contact. A bolt 21fastens one of these ends to the post 24. A wire rope 28 extendstransversely past the post 24 and is fastened to the piece 25 by meansof a clip 29 in the same piece of flat spring metal 88 is transverselyfastened by means of a bolt 89. This piece is curled into a loop withits end 90 telescoped inside of the same, and its portion opposite thepost 81 is provided with a series of apertures 9| arranged in verticalalinement. A plurality of wire ropes 92 extend transversely past thispost adjacent these apertures 9|,and U-shaped clips 93 engage thesestrands 92 and have portions 94 which extend inwardly through theapertures 9|. These portions 94 are apertured in directions transverseof the loop, or vertically, and are therefore in parallel alinement withthe post 81, and a pin 95 is passed transversely through them so as toretain them in position.

I claim:

1. A road guard of the character described, comprising a series ofposts, a series of looped re- Y silient sheet metal supports each havinga pormanner as in the'case of Figure 2. It is to be noted that in thisform the ends of the piece 25 are likewise arranged free so as to permitrelative movement of the same, and the mounting of movement.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, thereis a post 81 to which a tion adjacent the post rigidly secured thereto,

the extremities of each looped support being free to move relatively toeach other under impact, a guard rail comprising a plurality ofvertically spaced cables extending from support tosupport' and injuxtaposition with the outer surfaces thereof, and respective meansmounting each cable on each support with freedom for independentlongitudinal sliding movement relative to such support.

2. A road guard of the character described,

comprising a series of posts, a series of looped resilient sheet metalsupports each having a portion adjacent the post rigidly securedthereto, the terminal extremities of each looped support contacting andmovable with relation to one another, a guard rail comprising aplurality of vertically aligned cables extending from support tosupport, and respective clips interlocked with the supports and looselyembracing the cables to permit them to partake of unrestrictedindependent longitudinal movement with respect to the supports. 7

3. A road guard of the character described, comprising a series ofposts, a series of looped resilient sheet metal supports each having aportion adjacent the post rigidly secured thereto, the terminalextremities of each looped support contacting and movable with relationto one another, a guard rail comprising a plurality of verticallyaligned cables extending from support to support, each support having aseries of apertures formed in its portion opposite the post, respectiveU-shaped clips embracing each of said cables and having portionsextending through the apertures in the supports, each clip beingperforated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cables, anda retainer pin piercing the perforations in said clips, the parts beingthus constructed and arranged to permit free longitudinal slidingmovement of the plurality of cables relative to each of said supports.

4. A guard rail construction comprising a series of posts, a series oftube-like sheet metal springs mounted on the posts by means rigidlysecuring a portion of each spring to a post, the springs being of loopedform with their extremities contacting and freely movable relative toone another under force of impact, a guard rail extending alone and inengagement with the front portions of the springs, said guard railcomprising a plurality of vertically spaced flexible cables, the springsbeing yieldable toward the posts upon impact of a vehicle with the railand the rail being connected directly to and carried by the springsthrough the agency of means allowing unlimited sliding movement of thecables relative to the springs, the springs being substantiallyunyieldable in a vertical direction and thereby maintaining theirroadside portions substantially vertical, thus serving to maintain thecables in vertically spaced relationship.

5. A guard rail construction comprising a series of posts, a series oftube-like sheet metal springs mounted on the posts by means rigidlysecuring a portion of "each spring to a post, the springs being oflooped form with their extremities contacting and freely movablerelative to one another under force of impact, a guard rail extendingalong and in engagement with the front portions of the springs, saidguardrail compris- .8 a plurality of vertically spaced flexible cables,the springs being yieldable toward the posts upon impact of a vehiclewith the rail and the rail being connected directly to and carried bythe springs through the agency or apertured clips embracing cables andextending through slots in the springs and including a single retainerpin for each spring common to the clips of all 01' the cables supportedthereon.

6. A road guard comprising a series of spaced posts, a series ofresilient sheet metal brackets each having an inner fixed portionrigidly secured to a respective post and a flexible portion spacedoutwardly therefrom, each bracket being so shaped in plan and soconstructed and arranged that the free extremity thereof can be readilyflexed inwardly toward the zone of the post under impact, a guard railcomposed oi a plurality of cables arranged one above the other andextending from bracket to bracket in contact with the yieldable outerportions thereof, said brackets being adapted to yield upon impact of avehicle with the guard rail, and retaining members carried by thebrackets and making a free sliding 111; with the cables so that anycable may move independently of its neighbor with relation to anybracket, said brackets being unyieldable in a vertical direction andthereby maintaining their roadside portions substantially vertical, thusserving to keep the plurality of longitudinally movable cablesconstituting the guard rail in spaced relation one above the other.

CARL C. AHLES.

